Car-door operator.



110.884.295. PATENTE APR.'7,`1908.

G.. W. RAKBSTRAW.

GAR DOOR OPERATOR.

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. NO. 884.295. PATENTED APR. "i, 190s.

G. v v. RAKBSTRAW.

OAR DOOR OPERATOR.

.APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 10, 1907.

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fue Nomus PETERS co., wAsHlNaToN, D. c.

No. 884,295. PATENTED A1 R.7,19o8.l G. W. RAKBSTRAW.

OAR DOOR OPERATOR.

APPLIUATIO FILED SEPT. 10. 1907.

N 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

GEORGE W. RAKESTRAW, OF HOLLYSPRINGS, GEORGIA.

CAR-DOOR OPERATOR.

Application filed September 10, 1907.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April '7, 1908.

Serial N0. 392,183.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that l, GEORGE W. RAKE- sTEAw, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Hollysprings, in the county of Cherokee, State ofGeorgia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oar-DoorOperators; and l do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,and exact description of the invention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in opening andclosing mechanisms for sliding doors, more particularly the doors offreight cars, and it has for its object to provide a novel construction,combination and arrangement of parts.

The details of construction will appear in the course of the followingdescription in which reference is had to the accompanying' drawings,forming a part of this specification, like characters of referencedesignating similar parts throughout the several views, where- 1n:-h

Figure 1 is a side elevation illustrating a preferred embodiment of theinvention, the door being shown as applied to a freight car and initsclosed position. Fig. 2 is a similar view illustrating the door in itsop en position. Fig, 3 is a similar view illustrating the modifiedembodiment of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings the numeral 5 designates a freight carhaving a door opening 6 which is adapted to be closed by a sliding door7 working in upper and lower guides 8. Main toggle links 9 and 10arranged in upper and lower pairs are employed to effect a slidingmovement of the door in either` direction, the links 9 being pivoted tothe sides of the car and the links 10 being pivoted to the door,7. Theupper pivotally connected links 9 and 10 are pivoted at their upper endsand depend and the lower pivotally connected links 9 and 10 are pivotedat their lower ends and extend upwardly. Links 13 and 14 are pivoted tothe respective upper and lower links 9, the links 13 and 14 beinglikewise pivoted to one another as at 15 and constituting an auxiliarytoggle. The pivot 15 is likewise the connection between the links 13 and14 and a rod 16 which is in turn pivoted to an operating lever 17 havinga pivotal mounting 18.

The handle of the lever 17 is held when the door is closed, by afrangible seal 19.

ln Fig. 3 a modified form of the invention isshown in which toggle links9 and 10 corresponding to the links 9 and 10 are employed. The departurefrom the preferred form of the invention resides in the provision ofnovel operating means consisting of ropes 20 and 21 connected to thepivot joints of the respectiveupper and lower links 9 and 10 and trainedover respective guide pulleys 22 and 23, the ropes preferably beingpassed through retaining tubes 24 which together with the pulleys 22 and23 are mounted upon the side of'the car.

The manner of use will be readily apparent from the fore oingdescription. ln opening the door thellever 17 is moved manually in thedirection of the arrow A thereby spreading the links 13 and 14 apart andthe individual movement of the latter, acting on the links 9 moves thesame and the links 10 to spread apart, the movement of the links 10 inthis action resulting in sliding the door 7 to an open position. Thesaid door is closed by movement of the lever 17 in a re verse directionas indicated by the arrow B, the connecting toggle links cooperatingsimilarly as will be understood..

ln the modified form of the invention the rope 20 is pulled to actuatethe upper pair of links 9 and 10 to open the door, and the rope 21 toactuate the lower pair of links 9 and 10 to close the door.

The invention is simple in its structural details, inexpensive tomanufacture, and practical and efficient in use.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that simple and eliicientmeans are provided for accomplishing the objects of the invention, but,while the elements herein shown and described are well adapted to servethe functions set forth, it will be obvious that various minor changesmay be made in the proportions, shape, and arrangement of the severalparts Without departing from the spirit and scope of the claim appendedhereto.

What is claimed, is,

A mechanism of the class described, comprising in combination with a carand a sliding door mounted at one side thereof, of pivotally connectedmain toggle links arranged in upper and lower coperating pairs, one ofthe links of each pair being pivoted to said l connection, and anoperating lever pivoteol at ear and the remaining link of each pairbeing its end to said rod. l pivoted to the door, said links havingoperar In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature, tivev movement aspairs towards and away in presence of two Witnesses.

5 from one another, an auxiliary link pivoted GEORGE W. RAKESTRAW.

to each of the car pvoted links of said pairs, Witnesses: said linksbein@ ivoted to one another, a rod A. J. PURGELL, pivoted to saicl linksat their mutual pivotal F. M. BLACKWELL.

